Cheers

www.cheersonline.com 28 | MAY 2014 taste the wine and find it refreshingly dry, and not sweet as they assumed," says the sommelier/bar manager for the 300- seat Marina Kitchen at the 1,360-room San Diego Marriott Marquis and Marina. Orr uses wines such as the 2010 Schloss Schönborn Estate dry riesling from Germany's Rheingau region ($10 a glass) to prove the varietal's versatility. Marina Kitchen has 350 wines by the bottle, with 40% dedicated to white wine, and eight wines by the glass. "Riesling is a great summer white wine," says Andre Compeyre, beverage director for the 135-seat Regency Bar and Grill at the 379-room Loews Regency Hotel. "We find that the drier, the better, in terms of popularity." Overall, more guests are requesting cleaner, easier-to-drink wines, he notes. Compeyre offers selections like the 2013 Paumanok Vineyards semi-dry riesling from Long Island ($10 a glass; $45 a bottle) and the 2011 Domaine Marcel Deiss riesling from Alsace, France ($85 a bottle). e Regency has 600 bottles on its wine list, with 40% dedicated to whites, and seven white wines available by the glass. HOLD THE OAK While rich, barrel-fermented and aged chardonnay still has legions of fans, many patrons are gravitating to the other end of the wine spectrum. "Unoaked, mineral-driven whites with crisp, clean, mouthwatering flavors seem to be the most desirable at the moment," notes Orr. He has seen lots of request for grapes such as albariño, chenin blanc and grüner veltliner. Marina Kitchen carries wines by the glass like the 2009 Iberian Remix from Edna Valley, California ($14 a glass) and the 2011 Domaine Wachau Federspiel grüner veltliner from Austria ($11 a glass). Gino Santangelo, executive sommelier for the 151-seat American steakhouse e Forge in Miami, has noticed that grüner veltliner is becoming more mainstream. "ese wines are semi-aromatic, with a trademark hint of pepper; dry, crisp and medium-bodied, they are beautiful wines for summer." e Forge carries the 2012 Fred Loimer "Lois" grüner veltliner from Austria's Kamptal region ($52/bottle.) e Forge's list has 559 total wines by the bottle, and 80 by the glass; it offers 133 bottles of white wine, and 20 available by the glass. "ere has been a dynamic shift in style of white wine being requested," says Kevin Bratt, concept wine director for the three locations of Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab, headquartered in Chicago. "Guests are asking for lighter, crisp and aromatic styles of white wine." Joes' carries the citrus- and peach-tinged 2012 Columna albariño from Spain Rias Baixas region ($11 a glass), as well as the spritzy, lively 2011 Niepoort Dócil vinho verde from Portugal's Douro Valley ($45 a bottle). Bratt says that these wines pair well with seafood and lighter summer fare. Joe's offers 493 wines by the bottle, and 30 wines by the glass. LOVING THE LOIRE Bratt also points to the tremendous amount of value-driven wines from France's Loire Valley, made primarily from the sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc and melon de bourgogne grapes. "It's a great place to turn if you're looking for food-friendly wines that really deliver a sense of place at a great price." Joe's locations offer Loire wines including the 2011 Domaine Left, a chilled glass of white at The Fountain in Philadelphia's Four Seasons Hotel, which offers 150 white wines by the bottle and 27 by the glass. Right, The Forge's Shareef's Selection, wine picks from the Miami Beach restaurant's owner Shareef Malnick. 26-30 white wine trends CH0514.indd 28 5/7/14 10:10 AM

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